Usage metering system

• US 20060265713A1
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Depro, Kenneth J., Luzeski, Nicholas M. Jr., Frederick, Chad E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A usage metering system for determining computer resource utilization is described herein. Computer resource utilization is determined by accumulating instances of computer resource utilization based on array of counters. This enables an accurate determination of instances of when a predetermined threshold baseline of computer resource utilization is exceeded over an accumulated period of time. By using an array of counters to collect data rather than averaging values over time, a more accurate indication of computer resource utilization is determined. The usage metering system has little impact on computer system resources, because snapshots can be taken on a fairly infrequent basis, and any computer resource utilization calculations can be performed on computer platforms separated from the system being monitored.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) collecting a value indicating a level of computer resource utilization in a first computer system;

(b) selecting a bucket from an array corresponding to the collected value, wherein each bucket from the array contains a count value providing a recorded history of how many times a particular computer resource level value was observed;

(c) modifying a count value maintained in the bucket corresponding to the collected value;

(d) repeating, iteratively, the operational acts described in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) for a specified period of time; and

(e) generating a report based on the count values contained in the array indicative of the levels of computer resource utilization realized during at least the period of time.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising transferring each count value maintained in the array to a second computer system after a second period of time.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising transferring each count value maintained in the first array to a second array after a second period of time, and maintaining a second array containing buckets, each bucket containing a count value representing an accumulation of count values received from a corresponding bucket in the first array.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising forwarding the report to a billing center.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the iterative acts of collecting, selecting and modifying is performed by a collector module residing on the first computer system.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of generating a report is performed by a reporter module.

7. A method for metering computer resource utilization occurring on a computer system, comprising:

collecting computer resource utilization data indicating an amount of a computer resource used during a particular interval of time;

maintaining an array of buckets corresponding to different levels of computer resource utilization, each bucket having a counter indicating a quantity of instances a level of computer resource utilization was reached over a period of time;

modifying a value of a counter in a bucket of the array of buckets corresponding to a level of computer resource utilization for the particular interval of time;

repeating the steps of collecting computer resource utilization data and modifying a value of the counter for a plurality of interval of times; and

reporting computer resource utilization over a period of time equal to the plurality of interval times based on values of the counters in the array of buckets.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the acts of collecting, maintaining, and modifying are performed by a collector module operating as software code executing on one or more processors.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the act of reporting the computer resource utilization is performed by a reporter module operating as software code executing on one or more processors.

10. A usage metering system, comprising:

a collector module, operating on a computer system, the collector module configured to take a snapshot of a process utilization manager of the computer system on a continuous basis over a prescribed period of time and record the performance data in an array;

wherein each snapshot provides a value indicative of a peak amount of a computer resource utilized at a particular time interval,

wherein the array comprises a plurality of buckets each bucket representing a particular incremental value of a computer resource utilization, and each bucket having a counter with a count value indicating the number of times a particular computer resource level was observed; and

wherein each value of a snapshot is used by the collector module to select a bucket from the array corresponding to the value of the snapshot, and to modify the count value of the selected bucket each time a particular computer resource level was observed that corresponds to the selected bucket.

11. The usage metering system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a reporter module configured to communicate with the collector module and to receive data from the collector module associated with the array.

12. The usage metering system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a reporter module configured to (i) communicate with the collector module (ii) receive data from the collector module associated with the array, and (iii) consolidate and format the data for eventual transmission to a designated system.

13. The usage metering system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a reporter module configured to attempt to communicate with the collector module, but if the reporter module is unable to receive data from the collector module after one of a prescribed period of time and number of attempts to communicate with the collector module, then the reporter sends an alert message to one of a designated site, person, and service center, indicating that there is a problem with the health of an instance partition, computer system, and/or the collector module.

14. The usage metering system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a first and second reporter module, the first reporter module configured to collect utilization data in the form of the array from collector module and report the utilization data to a designated entity, the second reporter module configured to collect to collect the utilization data in the form of the array from the collector module and report the utilization data to a designated entity in lieu of the first reporter module, if the first reporter module is unable to communicate with the collector module.

15. The usage metering system as recited in claim 10, wherein the collector module resides on the computer system.

16. The usage metering system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a reporter module configured to communicate with the collector module and to consolidate and format the data for eventual transmission to a designated system, wherein the reporter module resides a supervision computer separate from the computer system.